were better now!

What a smile!!!!!

Chilling out watching TV while mom put away the laundry.



As you can tell Ashley is now back to her usual self. She is much better now. She is still down 2 lbs but is eating like crazy so I don't think it will take her long to gain it back. (don't I wish that was my problem...)

Next week is my last week of classes so my life will calm down for a little while. I just finished up 2 papers that are waiting for Mike to proof read. At least they are out of my hands now!

Today we tried out the Johnny jumper and he really liked it. He stayed in for about 15 minutes and was able to touch the floor even at the shortest settings. I think those things are made for doorways that are 10-12 feet tall not 8 ft like in base housing (or most places for that matter).

Ben will be going in on next Thurday for his 4 month well baby. I am excited to hear what they say. But not so excited for the shots part of it.

A sick kid is no fun

Ashley's got the stomach virus. Yuck. Poor girl has been sick all day long! I guess I have been pretty lucky as this is the first time I have had to deal with puke! And boy is it no fun!

Holy cow

Ok, so I was just on the phone with my big sister and was chatting about the kids when I mentioned that Ben was almost 17lbs and 25 1/2 inches long. ding ding ding (the bell in my head chimed) His car seat only goes to 26 inches and 20lbs. Holy cow! I can't believe we are going to have to switch him to a convertible seat already! I love the bucket for the fact that he can stay sleeping when I run errands or go to the gym....no fun! Okay, enough complaining now. A quick thanks to my friend J who gave me a convertible car seat for Ben to use!

3 months already!

Wow, I just can't believe that Ben is already 3 months old! Time sure does fly by! He is doing really well. He weighs 16lbs 8oz at his last appt. and is 25 1/2 inches long. Sure is a big boy.

He is such a good sleeper. He generally sleeps for a good 6-8 hours at a time during the night. What a change from the last one :)


So yesterday I drug up the exersaucer from the basement, took it outside and sprayed it down with the hose, and then Ben got to try it out. He is still a little too wobbly for it but seemed to like it for a few minutes. Ashley on the other hand has been climbing in and out of it constantly. I gave up trying to keep her out of it. I figured give it a few days and it will lose it's charm....well, hopefully. She like to play ring-around-the-rosies in it and then falls down and the seat catches her. Silly girl

Easter!

Ashley and Ben hanging out in the kitchen while mommy makes dinner.

Ashley got to color Easter eggs for the 1st time. She really enjoyed herself!


Especially when she realized that when you smack 2 eggs together they crack!!


The hunt for the Easter basket! I just realized that most people hide the baskets. We had never done that when I was younger. Mike and my friend T both confirmed that I am the wierd one. :)

Helping with Dinner

Ashley got her first chance to really help make dinner. It was a lot of fun! She ate most of the toppings before they even made it to the pizza, but we still had some yummy vegi pizzas for dinner!

Teachers Pet

Whoo hoo

Three gold stars for me! I just got back my essay exam that was due last week and got 100/100! Here is the comment my instructor left for me!

Awesome! If you want to practice a title page and abstract in APA style you will be ready for publication.

Publication....not sure about that one but it was pretty good to hear. Go Mandy!!!
Okay, now I will go stick my nose back in my book, I know, I know I'm a dork!

Easter bunny time

We went and saw the Easter bunny last weekend. Ashley wouldn't even go near him and even when I forced her to sit with me she wouldn't look in his direction. I thought it was kinda cute with both kids looking opposite directions. hehe

Guess who slept through the night last night, yup Ben! I couldn't believe it when Mike's alarm went off this morning. I just hope that it continues, boy wouldn't I be spoiled!!! Ashley didn't sleep through the night until way later. Let's knock on wood for this one!

Pictures

I love the tongue thing that he does. He has done it since he was born and it just cracks me up. He'll be sitting there poking his tongue in and out like he is checking the wind or something.















Ashley's new job! She is getting good at feeding Boca. Except when she wants to play in the food, so she transfers all the food to the water dish. Let me tell you cleaning up soggy dog food is not my idea of a good time.
















Nor is cleaning oatmeal and blueberries out of previously clean hair. She did this one pretty good. There was oatmeal everywhere!















Ben loves laying on the ground. We put some toys up above him and he loves swatting at them and watching everyone else from a new angle. My only complaint is I can't take my eyes off him with Ashley around.

back in school

Well I just finished my first week of classes since having Ben. So far they don't look to be that bad. But ask me again in 6 weeks and my answer might be a tad different. I am taking the psychology of adolescence & the psychology of adult development and aging. They both seem to be quite interesting.

Ashley has re-figured out a new trick that is driving me bonkers! Get this.... Yesterday I had to go to the bathroom so I figured everything would be fine if I was only gone for 2 minutes. I closed the door, ahh a little privacy for once. When I came out I couldn't find Ashley, I ran around the house calling in each room and looking under the beds and in the closets. But when I entered the living room I realized the back door was wide open. I ran over there and only to see her out in the MUD. Not just any mud, stinky North Dakota stagnant mud! Of course she didn't have shoes on so she was up to her ankles in goup. Lovely! Today I just about locked her in the crawlspace (oh wait, we don't have one, but I really thought about it :)) Because she kept opening the door and walking out. Mike thankfully whipped a stick concoction that we can wedge at the top of the door frame so she can't do it any more!!! HAHAHA

Mike's ALS graduation is on Thursday! Whoohoo, I will then have a hubby again who isn't so darn busy to breath. I have a honey-do list that has been growing over the last 5 weeks. Poor guy thought he was gonna get a break...

Comparison

Ok, well I was writing an email to my friend C.R. and mentioned that I thought the kids looked quite a lot alike. I hadn't actually pulled out pictures to compare so this morning i decided to do so. So here are 2 pictures of Ashley when she was 2 months old, so let me know what you think.

Shots, shots, and more shots

I took Ben in for his 2 month well-baby appointment today and he is doing great. He is officially 14lbs 10oz. and above the 95th percentile for weight. (up almost 3 lbs in the last month) He climbed up in height from the 50th percentile to the 75th and of course big heads run in our family so his head is up there on the scales too. He had to get 3 shots and a oral dose of the new roto virus vaccine. Poor guy did not like that one bit. Plus he's a bleeder. Ashley never bled when she got her vaccines but all three of his did and not just a little dot of blood it was all over. Weird. Poor Ashley was just a tag along to the dr. visit and when they saw her in the immunization clinic they told me she was due for a new vaccine that just came out. Great, poor girl was blind sided. Now she's been cranky all afternoon. Ben is just sleeping like a lamb, he wakes up to eat and then passes out again.

My 1st one sheet wonder...

Alright, I know I am a little slow in trying this but I finally did it and boy is it fun. I love how I came up with so many cards that are all a little different! I will definitely have to do this again.

Holy Buckets!

Holy Buckets of snow, that is. Last night when going to bed the news man said a light dusting, is that what they are calling 6+ inches of new snow, a light dusting. That one got a chuckle out me alright.

I still managed to drag both kids out in the snow and to the gym even though my thighs were still burning from yesterdays cardio class. Today's kickboxing class kicked my butt even more and now my legs and arms are sore. Double Whammy! Why do I do this to myself again? OH yeah, to be healthy! I have to keep telling myself that when I have to grip the chair to stand up.

Ben goes for his 2 month check up in the morning so we'll get to see just how big he is really getting.

Oh and today is our Anniversary! 4 years and 2 kids later....Sad thing is with him in ALS we can't even do anything. Oh well, we've got plans for a quick dinner this weekend, in between his mandatory volunteer time and our well needed oil change.

EEG

I took Ben in for his EEG that the neurologist ordered because of his shuddering spells that he has been having. He was not a happy camper when they were marking his head for placement nor when they were glueing on the electrodes. But once we got him settled down he just passed out. He really didn't want to wake up when they had to test his awake state. Poor guy. Needless to say after all that crying he was pretty quiet the rest of the evening and he only woke once to eat all night!!!! I really needed a good nights sleep!

Oh I forgot to add that we got the results almost immediately after the EEG at our follow up appointment. Everything checks out and the neurologist said that he no longer has any concerns with Ben and says that he seems perfectly normal and healthy and the shuddering spells should end by the time he is 6 months- a year.

Ashley is doing great in her toddler bed. Nap time seems to be the easiest but she is still doing remarkably better than I expected. Whooohoo Ashley!

The big move....

Well, I finally made the decision to move Ashley to the toddler bed. I didn't make the drastic step my friend E did by taking down the crib because I am going to need it very shortly as my bassinet is only good up to 15 lbs and my little chunker weighed in at 14 (with diaper and clothes) yesterday when daddy weighed him....So anyway my friend S had a Finding Nemo toddler bed for sale so I made the plunge and bought it.

I decided to put it to good use last night and told Ashley she was going to sleep in her big girl Nemo bed. She was excited at first but after our night time routine and I left the room she got out and cried at the door. I gave it 15 minutes and then went in, moved her back to the toddler bed and told her it was time to go night-night! She was asleep in her bed by 7:30 only 30 minutes after starting our bedtime routine. Not too bad! We'll see how nap time goes today, lets hope for success.

It's still snowing...

I love it when I can actually succeed in getting a picture of Benjamin smiling. He has really started doing it often this past week. It is so cute. He has started cooing also. It is the greatest thing to see the excitement on his face when he tries to make a noise and something really comes out!


Here's the diaper shot for Grandma so she can see how big he is getting since she left. His hands and feet are so huge. He is already in a size 2 shoe.


Mike was lucky enough to get released early from work (even though he will have to make it up) but it was nice to have a snow day with all of us home. Oh, and the guys from his shop came over and plowed my driveway and unburied the green car. What a relief that was as we got over a foot of snow last night and about the same is expected for tonight.


I had to take a picture of Boca outside. The snow is already up to her belly and it is still coming down. It was hilarious to watch her try to find a place to go potty because her but is almost already in the snow when she is standing.

A moment of peace

Why oh why do kids feed off each other. My goodness today is one of those days. Ashley is cutting 4 teeth and is crankier than all get out. She woke up from a 2 hour nap crying and just hasn't stopped. She is whining, crying, throwing tantrums, ugghh, and of course Ben just wants to be held and or fed constantly. I am cherishing this moment as I have gotten both kids quiet. Ben is sleeping in his carseat (bad mommy, i know)and Ashley fell asleep during her "time out".....OH WAIT, here she goes again. Moment of peace concluded. Back to mayham!

I hope everyone else's days are a little brighter :)

Goodbye Grandpa

Mikes dad left this morning headed to see Mike's sister Jenny and her new baby. Ashley was quite sad to see him go and has been asking for him all morning. At least I took some pictures because I don't think she will see him again until Thanksgiving when his whole family is coming to visit.

Mike started ALS this morning. Let me tell you last night was a fun night! We had to do some stressful rushing around to get all his blues together so that he would be ready today. We managed to get it all together well enough even though clothing sales was closed because it was a Sunday. We had to sew on stripes, attach new ribbons, iron and shine all the while his dad was packing up to leave and of course Ben is getting a cold....Oh well it is all done and today is a new day!

Ben is going in to see a neurologist on the 7th for an EEG to make sure the shuddering he has been having are not seizures. He was seen this past week and they couldn't rule anything out so they are running an EEG to make sure. They really don't think it is anything serious but are concerned enough to run some extra tests. I will update as soon as we know more.

Ashley's new "orsie"

Grandpa got Ashley a new spring horse for her birthday/christmas. At first she was scared of it but within an hour she was up bouncing away. It is still quite big for her so she needs help getting up and down but she really likes it. She has really enjoyed Grandpa visiting and daddy having the long weekend off.

Grandpa's Visiting

Mike's dad is in town visiting so Mike and him have been busy working on Mike's 1956 Ford F-100 that has been taking up my garage all winter. I swear they are crazy. Who in their right mind would subject themselves to these horrible North Dakota temperatures? Not I for sure! Anyway we have enjoyed him visiting and as I uploaded pictures from my camera I realized I haven't taken any since he has been here. Whoaa I am really slacking here. I need to get on that quickly.

what a chunker!

I took Ben for his 1 month appt. yesterday and he has gained 3 pounds. He is now up to 11.2 lbs.

Driving Mrs. Macy...

I dropped Macy our puppy off to her new family today. We were sad to see her go but relieved to have a quieter, calmer house. You wouldn't believe what a difference one dog makes. We found Macy a home on freecycle and the family seems wonderful. They live in Hillsboro on a 10 acre farm and have 4 kids and another dog. They are really excited to have her in their family and we are glad to have found another family for her so quickly!

Mike has weekend duty tonight, Ashley's in bed, Ben is sleeping in the rocking chair, and I get to SCRAPBOOK....WHEEEEEEE. Off I go to scrapbooking heaven.

It's about time

Alright, I know it's been a little while since I have updated. I've gotten used to a routine that doesn't include downloading the pictures I have taken. Yikes I know. So this last Monday I took both kids by myself to a spouses group meeting as a trial run. I still hadn't done it on my own yet. Thankfully little Benjamin slept through the entire thing (except when Ashley decided to step in his car seat to use it as a boost to see on the table). Ashley didn't want to go play in the nursery so she stayed with me. I think that was pure proof that I need to get out more especially times when I am not by her side the whole time. I am awaiting the clearance from the Dr. so that I can head to the gym and join the mommmy class that has childcare. Can't wait!

Oh and Ashley got into a box of jello and decided it was quite the yummy treat! Aren't you jealous you didn't get to clean that one up?